


Coffee and PAs

by Ka5hew



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, M/M, Post-Season/Series 03, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:00:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21864127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ka5hew/pseuds/Ka5hew
Summary: Sitting down with a cup of coffee, Frank flipped though a newspaper as to avoid suspicion.As he was idly looking through it, an advert caught Franks eye:PA wanted at Nelson, Murdock & Page—————Basically I wanted an AU where Frank worked as Matts PA, so I wrote one.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Matt Murdock
Comments: 20
Kudos: 225





	1. Chapter 1

It had been a while since Frank had been back in Hell’s Kitchen; it was risky, what with everyone there having a high chance of recognising him, but, nevertheless, he made his way back - it just felt right. 

He reached his safe house and breathed it in - home.   
Dumping his clothes on the bed, he went and laid down on the couch.

Suddenly, and unsurprising, he heard gunshots.   
Frank knew it was only a matter of time before he had to go out as The Punisher again, but part of him was craving it. 

Throwing on his bullet proof vest, he jumped outside and made his way towards the rooftops.

........ 

Upon reaching the right roof, all Frank found was unconscious bodies, discarded guns and a familiar dark figure standing in the middle of the mess.

“Red?” Frank asked, surprised to see the vigilante out of his usual red suit and horns, instead clad in a flimsy black fabric. 

“One and only” he smirked.

“Almost didn’t recognise you,” 

Red just shrugged, the smirk still plastered on his face. 

“What the hell happens to your suit? Why aren’t you wearing any protection? What if you get shot in the head again?”   
Frank tried not to let any concern show in his voice - why was he even concerned? - but Reds growing smile confirmed that he’d failed.

“You almost sound as though you care Frank” the devil tilted his head a bit as Frank felt a blush rise to his face.

“No, I don’t, but I do know that if Hell’s Kitchen looses its vigilante, I’ll be stuck doing your work” 

“If you say so,” smug bastard.  
“Anyways, about the suit, well - it got stolen”  
That just made Frank even more confused, so he sat down, legs dangling off the roof, and gestured for Red to join him. 

“It’s-uh- it’s a bit of a long story” He said, as he took a seat next to Frank in the rooftop.  
“Well, we’ve got all night Red,” 

........ 

Red told him about Fisk. And the FBI, the daredevil copycat, and by the time he was done, the horizon was staring to glow a faint orange.

“That’s one hell of a mess you got yourself into Red” Frank sat there, still on the rooftop, Reds warm body next to his, close enough for him to see how his lips quirked upwards and the short hairs that dotted his jaw. 

“Well, guess I should get going, got to get to work before people get suspicious”

As Red got up, Frank followed him. Sometimes, part of Frank wondered if he’d ever find out who was underneath that mask, if he’d ever get to see the other half of the vigilante.

“Well, it was nice to see you again Frank. Try not to get arrested again” he said, and although Frank couldn’t see it, he was sure there was a smirk. 

.......

Frank made his way back to his safe house, and by the time he got there, it was morning. 

“Sh.t” he muttered. He didn’t realise how much time he had wasted - he was supposed to go look for a new job that morning, or at least a temporary one.   
He couldn’t live off backup supplies forever.

Shrugging off his bullet proof vest and grabbing some clean clothes,, Frank made his way outside to get some coffee, hoping it would help him get his crap together. 

Going outside was risky, but with his cap low on his head and the coffee shop being incredibly crowded, it was unlikely anyone would pay him any attention. 

Sitting down with a cup of coffee, Frank flipped though a newspaper as to avoid suspicion.

As he was idly looking through it, an advert caught Franks eye:

PA wanted at Nelson, Murdock & Page 

Reading the advert, Frank was reminded of the lawyers who ‘helped’ him through his trial. He was surprised to see they were back in business, especially after what could be considered the biggest failure of their career. 

Reading through it, Frank realised fate had given him the golden opportunity. 

Obviously, neither Nelson or Murdock would be pleased to see the presumed-dead client who ruined their case, but Frank was sure it was the safest place for him to look for employment, what with Karen working there once again.

She had contacted him a few weeks ago, saying how they had reformed the band of lawyers, and how they had decided to rename the company to involve her. 

Whilst Karen had spoken about Nelson and Murdock in the past, Frank wasn’t sure what either of them were like outside of court, but, Deciding it was worth the risk, Frank picked up his coffee and made his way towards the office of Nelson, Murdock and Page.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank goes to get employed, Foggy is the only rational person, and Matt has some thoughts.

“This is ridiculous! I can’t believe we’re actually discussing this!”   
Matt sighed as Foggy ranted.

“Well, you did put out that advert,” 

It had been just as they were leaving for lunch that Frank Castle walked into their office.   
At first, Matt panicked, immediately assuming that he was there because he had discovered Matts identity, but then, he just held out a cutting of an advert Foggy had posted last week and politely asked if they would consider giving him the position.

Matt was frozen in shock for a minute until Foggy dragged him to the other room.

Now, Foggy was not-to-quietly expressing his own shock.

“Yeh! But I didn’t expect The freaking Punisher to show up! And don’t even think of hiring him! You know how many people he’s killed!” 

Foggy was right, Frank had killed a lot of people. Bad people - but still people. And Matt wasn’t fond of his techniques, but after meeting him last night, Matt felt there had been a change in him. He seemed less angry. 

“Look, I know he’s that last person any of us expected, but no one else has turned up so far,” 

Foggy just groaned,   
“Of course you’d side with him! What did I expect? First Karen, now you-“ 

“Hey, look! I’m not siding with him, you know I don’t agree with his ‘methods’, but maybe it’d be better for him here, especially since the three of us have more of an insight to his situation” Matt explained.

“Ugh- fine! But only because no one else has come,” 

Matt just grinned as Foggy pointed a finger to him.

“And if he kills anyone in this office, I will fire him immediately!” He said, half joking, half serious. 

They head on outside to see Frank again, who had obviously heard the whole conversation, judging by his awkward stance.

Foggy explained to Frank the conditions of his employment, and how he would immediately tell the police if there were any dead bodies inside the office. 

“Now we’re going to lunch, so just wait here until Karen gets back - she’ll explain what jobs you have to do”

“Where is Karen?” Frank asked, and it was weird to see him being so conserved and quiet. He must really want this job. But part of him wondered why he wanted it here. Of course it was safer, but it was also equally as risky, especially with the threats of police. And then Part of him wondered if it was something else, if it was something to do with him and his ‘night time activities’. His thoughts were interrupted by Foggys response. 

“She’s out just finishing off some work for a case but she’ll be back soon, anyways, Matt and I are off, do not kill anyone, or blow anything up, or just - basically don’t do anything until Karen’s back!” 

And Matt could feel Franks smirk as he responded with “yes sir” 

Foggy just rolled his eyes as the two of them left the room and headed out to eat. 

.........

The smell of coffee usually captivated Matts senses when he went out to eat in coffee shops. Not that he minded - he liked the smell, it was familiar and brought a sort of comfort you could only get from coffee shops in New York.   
But today, he barely registered the smell. Even the chatter of civilians and various machinery was muffled by his thoughts.   
All he could think of was Frank. 

“And then Karen walked in, and Matt you should have seen -“ 

“Do you think he knows?” Matt interrupted Foggy. 

“What? Who?”

“Frank. The Punisher. You think he knows that I’m Daredevil?”

At this Foggy looked both confused and concerned.

“You think he’s come here to spy on you or something?” 

“No- it’s just. I don’t know. I met up with him last night, as Daredevil I mean, and it can’t be a coincidence that now he’s at our office!” 

Taking a sip of his coffee, Matt continued.

“I don’t think he’s gonna do anything bad, but it can’t just be a coincidence” 

“Well, I have no problem firing him, you know that, but I actually think you were right”

Now it was Matts turn to be confused. 

“What’d you mean?” 

“I mean earlier, when you said that it’s better if he works here. If he’s gonna work somewhere in Hells Kitchen, it’s better if he works somewhere we can keep and eye on him, ya know, make sure he doesn’t do anything dodgy” 

Matt chuckled at the word ‘dodgy’. He never thought he’d see Foggy agreeing with him about The Punisher, but it was a nice change, and it helped calm his thoughts a bit. 

With his mind somewhat at ease again, Matt enjoyed his coffee, though somewhere in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder if Frank liked coffee too. 

.....

Waiting for Karen didn’t last as long as Frank expected. It was only 5 minutes after Nelson and Murdock left that she showed up. 

“Frank! It’s good to see you! Foggy texted me that you were apply for the job” 

She came over and hugged him, and he couldn’t help but smile. Karen was his first real friend in a long time, and one of the few people he felt he could trust. 

“Nice to see you too” Frank said as he reciprocated the hug. 

They pulled away and Karen lead Frank into one of the offices.  
He took a seat as she opened up a PowerPoint slide on a small projector.  
The words “Daily Tasks” came up on the screen.

“So, I’ll guess I’ll explain to you what you’ll have to do for Matt,”

“For Matt?” Frank asked, a little confused.

“Yeah, your going to be his Personal Assistant... you did read the advert, right?” If anyone else said that, Frank would be pissed, but he could tell by Karen’s soft smile that she didn’t mean it in a rude way. 

“Yeah, sorry, didn’t really read it al through before I came here”  
Frank explained, a little embarrassed. 

“Don’t worry, I get that you must’ve been rushing to get a job, and I think all three of us will agree that this is the safest place for you to work, you don’t need to worry about any of us selling you out to the police or anything.” 

Strangely, he believed her words, which he rarely found himself doing. 

She went on to explain what he had to do on a daily basis to help Matt - get his coffee, meet him at his flat, walk with him to work, help him with clients during the day, and then he was free to go home. 

It wasn’t overly complicated, but Frank was determined to do Karen proud, especially after all she’d helped him with.

Just as she was finishing off, Matt and Foggy walked back in. 

“ we’re back! How’d it go?” 

Foggy asked, weirdly optimistic, considering his previous threats. 

“Just finished telling Frank here what he needs to do, Matt, anything I missed out?” 

Frank turned to look at the blind lawyer. It was the first time since court that Frank bothered to pay any attention to the man in question, and he couldn’t help but feel something familiar. 

Maybe it was they way he tilted his head, or how he held himself with a familiar sense of confidence. Or maybe it was his the firm yet smooth voice he spoke with.

“No, I’m sure that’s everything, just try not to get arrested,”  
And then he smirked. And that’s when it hit him.

But it wasn’t possible. He was a blind lawyer, not a ninja fighting vigilante.

And because of the ridiculousness of the thought, Frank just brushed it off.

But his subconscious mind couldn’t. And the idea couldn’t help but linger in the back of his mind as he went home that night, and it didn’t leave him as he slept, or when he woke up the next day. 

Part of Frank - a ridiculous, non sensical part of Frank - was convinced that Matt Murdock was The Devil of Hells Kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here’s the second chapter! Hope you enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franks first morning working for Matt, except it’s a mess

Frank stood in the queue of the coffee shop as more and more people started to come in.   
It was around 6 am and Frank had been waiting for the past 10 minuets to grab Murdock’s coffee.   
Who knew it would be so busy at this time? - well, certainly not Frank.

“Latte for Matt Murdock” called the barista as Frank went over to collect the coffee.

“Yeah, that’s for me” Frank went into automatic as he payed for the coffee, getting lost in his thoughts about his new job.   
It’s not that he was nervous about it, but he didn’t exactly want to screw up on the first day either.   
He had never been a PA before, nor did he exactly have the right skill set for one, but it was the safest place for him to work and keep his identity safe, so he had to get it right. That, and he couldn’t let down Karen. 

“You don’t look like Matt” 

The barista startled him out of his thoughts, pointing out the obvious. 

He had a small moment of panic before Frank realised that Matt must have done this himself before Frank was employed, meaning the people here would probably recognising him after seeing him on an almost daily basis - it wasn’t hard to. 

“I’m, uh- I’m his new assistant, Pete Castiglione.”   
Frank saw the girls features relax a bit at the explanation as she accepted the payment and handed him his change. 

Pocketing the change and grabbing the two coffees, Frank headed towards the door, carefully trying to avoid bumping into anyone in the packed coffee shop. 

But of course the universe hated him, because just as he reached the door, some guy barged in, knocking Frank out the way, resulting in coffee spilling all over him. 

The asshole didn’t even apologise. 

Resisting the urge to shout, Frank instead cursed under him breath as he carefully removed his coat.   
Thankfully, there wasn’t much coffee on the rest of his clothes, although his shirt felt a little damp. 

Draping the coat over his shoulder, Frank checked on the coffees. At least one of them had been saved. 

He made his way out of the coffee shop, only to be greeted with pouring rain. 

“For f*cks sake”  
He groaned, repositioning his coat so it was over his head instead.

And then he checked the time:

7:00 

Crap. He was late. 

.............. 

His alarm went off at exactly 6:30 that morning.   
And it felt good. 

Who knew an extra 30 minutes of sleep could feel so good?   
Matt lay in bed, awake but not moving; the bed was so warm and he just lay there for a minute, relishing in the warmth.

Slowly, he got up and stretched his arms, which were still sore from his late night ‘outings’.   
The extra sleep had really given him a boost, and he started to question why he didn’t get a PA earlier. Every morning for the past three years he had wasted thirty minutes waiting for his coffee in that shop, and now it was someone else’s problem - he was becoming spoilt already. 

Walking over to the window, Matt took in the sunlight shining through it. Though he couldn’t see it, it felt wonderful on his skin. 

By the time he got ready, the weather had changed drastically, and it was now pouring. Matt never liked the rain, it was always too loud and he hated how it felt like tiny bullets firing constantly. He was so happy to be inside, and part of him hoped he wouldn’t have to leave. 

Which reminded him of Frank, who would be walking with him to work today, and siting in his office today, and helping him out all day at work, and that made his feel, well...Matt didn’t know. 

And then he checked the time:

7:00. 

Frank should have been here ten minutes ago. 

A slight worry crept into Matt’s thoughts. What if something bad happened to Frank? He had tried to avoid him last night, the fear that Frank knew his identity was still lingering, and he wasn’t ready for a confrontation yet. 

Desperate to avoid delving deeper into those thoughts again, Matt shook off his worry and tried to convince himself that Frank was probably just having trouble finding his place. 

Ten minutes later, Matt heard heavy footsteps making their way hurriedly towards his apartment. 

Matt made his way towards the door and pulled it open just as Frank was about to knock on it.

This was one of the few moments in his life when Matt wished he could see, because from what he could tell, Frank was standing there, a coffee in one hand and the other holding a soaking wet clothes, which was either wet from the rain or ... coffee? (Matt assumed it was both), making it hard for Matt to hold back his laughter.   
He was certain that Frank saw the slight smile and chuckle that had escaped him.

“Here, coffee” Frank grunted, almost shoving the cup into his hand as he made his way inside. 

“Try not to get the floor too wet” Matt commented, as Frank turned to look at him in confusion.

“How the hell d’you know I’m wet Murdock?” 

“I’m blind, not deaf, I could hear the rain all morning.”  
Matt explained, hoping he hadn’t accidentally given himself away.   
As Frank made his way to grab Matt’s bag, Matt quickly went into his bedroom and grabbed the closest shirt and trousers he could grab. 

“Here, change into this, don’t want you to catch a cold or anything, especially on your first day,”   
Matt said, throwing the clothes at Frank, who caught them, still a little confused but immediately started to change. 

Though he couldn’t really see Frank changing in front of him, the thought made his face heat up and Matt quickly ducked his head to hide it from Frank, who he was sure would tease him. He could almost hear it already;  
Come on Red, Making you blush like a school girl, am I?   
And then Matt remembered that he wasn’t ‘Red’ right now, he was Matt Murdock, layer, Franks boss, and that made him consider what had previously haunted him. 

What if he told Frank who he was? What was the worst that could happen? And if Frank already knew, wouldn’t it be better to reveal himself? They could do so much more together, and they would be able to work better together in both parts of his life. 

But then his voice of reason popped up in his thoughts, explaining that he couldn’t tell Frank because that was dangerous, and Frank was a murder. 

Realising he’d been quiet for far too long, Matt cleared his throat and headed to open the door again.

“You ready to go?” 

He asked, holding the door open for Frank.

“Yeah, yeah, let’s go”   
He handed Matt his cane as the pair walked through the door.  
When they got outside, Matt was holding onto Franks elbow, whilst Frank held an umbrella for the two of them in his other hand. 

“I need to get my self one of these,” Frank said, as he readjusted his had so the umbrella covered both of them properly.

“What, and umbrella?”   
Frank just hummed in confirmation.   
“What else? Don’t want to be soaking wet again, well I guess for you all that matters is that your floor doesn’t get wet,” and Matt could hear the smile in his voice.

Matt just chuckled, which then turned into a full on laugh, and soon, Frank was laughing with him too. 

Matt couldn’t believe he was laughing with The Punisher, of all people. It was nice, and for once, Matt didn’t hate the rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished chapter 3! I feel like I rushed this one but I’m having a bit of writers block so I might not post for a while :(
> 
> Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franks day working for Matt and the night after

Frank and Matt spent the day working next to each other, the constant flapping of paper and Franks close heartbeat being almost therapeutic. Matt found it nice to have another person in the room with him, it was a good distraction from the growing noise of the harsh weather outside.

They had very little clients that day, but even with the ones they did have, Frank was weirdly professional. Well, maybe ‘professional’ wasn’t the right word, but he definitely didn’t scare anyone away. He was quiet all the way until lunch, but Matt, who usually appreciated some silence, was starting to find it a little irritating.

It just felt weird to see Frank so conserved, especially since it was no where near how they talked normally. But of course, ‘normally’ wasn’t exactly an option here, he couldn’t just go “hey, by the way, I’m daredevil”. Frank probably wouldn’t even believe him anyways.  
But even if he got close to saying anything, he knew he would just chicken out at the last minute.  
Things had been fine on the way to work in the morning, Matt just couldn’t understand why Frank would go all quiet now.

“Hey, Matt, I’m going out to get lunch, you two want anything?” Foggy stood in the doorway, umbrella in one hand, phone in the other. Usually the three of them would go out to eat, but the rain was still pouring inconveniences on them. 

“Yeah, just, get what I usually do, um, Frank?” This was the first time Frank actually looked up at him since entering the office, and Matt heard his heart rate jump, but it was so subtle he might have missed it. 

“Um, yeah I’ll just have the same as Murdock.” He mumbled, and with that, he went back to tapping away at the keyboard. And that’s when Matt realised what was going on : Frank Castle, The Punisher, was scared of a pair of lawyers. 

The thought was hilarious, and for the second time in one day, Matt had to try and contain his laughter. He could understand why, of course, he had had his fair share of nerve racking first jobs and interviews, and being late was embarrassing to begin with, but the idea that Frank could fear something so ordinary seamed ridiculous, but it made Matt realise that Frank was in fact human, which he often forgot when witnessing his acts of controlled rage and punishing.

“Ok then, I should be back in a bit,” Foggy left the office with a small wave, though it would’ve looked weird to Frank that Foggy was waving to a blind man. 

Matt slowly cleared his desk to make way for the food, but all his senses were focused on Frank, who was still as quiet as a mouse.  
Clearing his throat, Matt decided to speak up.

“You know, you can take your break now,” 

Frank just gave a grunt of acknowledgement, but Matt could tell he wanted to say more. Matt waited patiently as Frank finally spoke up. 

“I’m, um, ‘m sorry, for getting you late, ‘specially on the first day”

Frank’s words just made Matt grin - he sounded like a a small child who was embarrassed of his mistake. 

“Don’t worry about it, it’s not a big deal. I mean I’m sure both me and Foggy have been late to a trial, actually I know we have.” Matt chucked lightheartedly, and sensed Franks heartbeat slow down a bit. 

By the time lunch arrived, the pair had been talking solidly for the last hour. Matt found that Frank was actually nice to talk to, when they weren’t arguing about killing, and they fell into easy conversations about the most ordinary things: 

Frank told him about his love for dogs, and Matt shares with him the story of when Foggy tried to convince him to get a guide dog.

Frank told him about how much he enjoyed the beach, so they both planned a visit for the four of them. 

And then Frank told him about his family, and Matt could still sense the loss he felt, though he couldn’t see it.  
Just as the conversation was getting too risky, Foggy came back with lunch, and all four of them gathered together in Matt’s office to eat.

Throughout lunch, Karen was the one who kept most of the conversations going, but Foggy, and occasionally Frank, would chime in too. 

It was a nice feeling that left Matt feeling full and warm, and it stayed there with him until he got home. And then he realised he’d have to face what he’d been fearing. 

Frank Castle may not have realised he was Daredevil, but there was still a possibility that the Punisher would find out he was Matt Murdock.

........ 

It wasn’t particularly late when Frank got home, but the winter sky was dark and the air blew in cold blasts against his face. It was only once he was inside that he realised he was still wearing Matt’s clothes. 

They felt oddly comfortable, as though they were his own, except softer and less covered in blood. Deciding to stick with what he was currently wearing, Frank pulled his bullet proof vest on and headed outside, hoping to distract himself from the disaster that was that morning. 

Part of him was still annoyed for being late on his first day, but that just reminded him of Matt’s words, and that brought him some peace. Who knew he could like hanging out with the lawyer? At first Frank was reluctant because, whilst he knew Nelson was not to be messed with (he was a really good lawyer, and Frank didn’t want to end up back in jail), Frank never really saw Matt as anyone to bother paying attention to. Of course he had seemed a little over enthusiastic about vigilantes during his trial, and looked like he had no problem with helping him out, he didn’t really seem like anything unusual, which convinced Frank that he was something unusual.

Nothing in his life was normal, why should Matt Murdock be any different? 

It was that, and the little things that he did which convinced Frank that Matt was definitely hiding something. Like every time he grabbed for his cane, it was like he knew where it was, and whenever they talked, it was like he was looking right at him, (although Frank couldn’t tell. Mainly because of those stupid red tinted glasses that he wore, which not only made it hard to read him, but also brought out the red tint in his lips, proving a great distraction for Frank).

It was almost like he wasn’t blind at all. But then again, what type of ass hole pretends to be blind? 

His thoughts were shattered by a whimper and a scream. Adrenalin shot through him as he suddenly raced across the roofs to find the source of the noise. 

Once again, Frank came face to face with with the usual scene of Daredevil trying to fight off seven other people at once, ‘trying’ being the key word here. Frank knew Red was a good fighter from personal experience, but sometimes he was just too stubborn to let others help him, even when he knew he needed help. Much like yesterday, when the vigilante spent the whole night avoiding Frank. Frank had no idea what he’d done now; he hadn’t killed anyone lately, nor had he gotten involved with the police, all he did was a get a job, and he was sure that wasn’t against the law. 

Maybe he was just pissed that Frank was staying in Hells Kitchen longer than he’d imagined. Well, he’d have to deal with it, Frank thought, as he rushed over, shooting two people in the legs as whilst doing so.

“Frank, what the hell are you doing here!?” Matt, clearly out of breath, knocked out another guy next to him.

“Usually people say ‘thank you’ when someone helps them “ 

Matt just huffed at this and the pair worked in silence, the only sounds to be heard were gunshots and cries, until no one remained able to fight them. 

The silence lasted a little longer than usual, until Red finally spoke up. 

“at least you didn’t kill anyone” Frank just rolled his eyes at that, and then busied himself with replacing his guns, but when he looked back to Red, he noticed he was clutching his side. 

“You alright there, Red?” But all Red did was give him a dazed look, well, he assumed it was a look, he couldn’t really tell when all he could see was the black cloth covering the devils eyes.

Slight concern creeping into him, Frank slowly stepped closer to Red, a hand cautiously held out, incase the man suddenly decided to pass out.

Which is exactly what happened.

One moment, Red was standing there, pale and silent, hand still at his side, and the next he had tipped forward into Franks arms, dead weight. 

And when Frank looked down, he could see a slowly growing pool of blood seeping from Red’s abdomen. 

Reality hit him hard as he suddenly realised what had just happened.  
Carefully, he checked Red’s pulse, which was slow and sluggish, making the panic within him grow. 

Attempting to stay calm, Frank slowly lifted Red over his shoulder, careful so that he didn’t create any more damage than there already was, and headed quickly back to his safe house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me a long time to write, and I’m not entirely pleased with it, but I hope you enjoy! I wanted to put in a bit of a fight but I find it really hard to write that sort of thing, but I might have another attempt in a later chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt passes out. A lot.

Blood. That was the first thing he noticed when he woke up. The smell of blood crowded his senses, it’s coppery taste in his mouth.   
Dried blood was caked around his nose and his entire body ached. 

The second thing he noticed was the gentle touches on his abdomen of someone who was applying a bandage.  
At first, he assumed it was Claire - but then the memories of the night before returned. Alongside that, the calloused fingers and steady heartbeat confirmed that it was Frank.

Panic suddenly spiked through him at the thought of Frank removing his mask, and his hands flew to his face to check. 

“Hey! Hey, Red, take it easy.” Frank spoke, and his normally grounding voice felt like screams in Matt’s ears.   
Frantic hands feeling his face, part of him was relieved to find the protection of the flimsy black fabric still in place. 

“Don’t worry, I didn’t sneak a peak” Frank’s steady heartbeat helped ease Matt’s rapid one.

“Like I said before, I don’t care who you are”   
Lie.

But Matt couldn’t focus on that right now; the pain from the bullet hole was overwhelming and agonising, and he could feel unconsciousness coming to take him again.

“Hey, hey cmon now Red, stay awake just a little bit longer for me, yeah?” 

The soft touches moved from his wounded stomach to his face, Frank’s large hand cupping his cheek, warm and welcoming. If Matt leaned into the touch, he blamed it on the pain.

He felt Frank’s other hand curl around his wrists and guide it slowly forwards, towards a glass of water, which was cold to the touch. 

In the other hand, Matt felt Frank drop some painkillers.

“Take those, then you can sleep.”   
The loss of Franks warm palm against his cheek left Matt frowning a bit, but he did as he was told. 

The water seemed to go down his throat in slow motion, in which every second was painful. His throat felt rough and the pills were hard, but once they were swallowed, relief came not too long after. 

Matt felt the couch sink as Frank took a seat next to him. 

“Get some sleep Red.”

Franks voice sounded muffled, and Matt felt the fatigue of blood loss and the the drugs acting on him as his whole body grew heavy.

Eventually, his eyelids drooped closed and he drifted off into a dreamless sleep. 

..... 

The second time Matt regained consciousness, it didn’t take him long to realise where he was. 

He lay there for a moment and then,   
slowly, he got up from the couch and walked around, trying to get familiar with this new surroundings. 

Franks safe house was much smaller compared to Matt’s, but it also felt a lot fuller. After the FBI had raided his apartment, Matt didn’t really bother to redecorate, so it usually lacked the comfort and familiarity of home. 

This was the opposite for Frank’s place. Most of his furniture was old and probably second hand, but all of it smelt of Frank’s familiar scent. Clothes were mostly tossed all over the place - bloodied shirts, old socks, and the occasional unwashed hoodie - but they made the place seem alive, rather than the dead atmosphere of Matt’s home (if he could even call it that anymore). 

The only thing that was properly organised were the guns. Matt ran his fingers along the cold metal, the smell of gunpowder was strong.

It was while he was doing this that he realised there wasn’t another heartbeat in the building.

The early traffics noise and warm sunlight slipping through the windows onto Matt’s skin alerted him that it was morning. 

Which meant Matt had spent the whole night there.  
And Frank has gone to work. 

.... 

If Frank arrived at his place and Matt wasn’t there, he’d surely make the connection. 

Adrenalin and panic fuelling him, he grabbed the nearest hoodie he found, pulled it over his head, and raced outside. The pain from his wound was forgotten as he ran across the rooftops in a desperate attempt to get back in time. 

When he reached his apartment, he was relieved to find it empty. Quickly and quietly, he slipped back inside and changed into his normal clothes. It was only once he’d changed that the pain kicked back in - he’d definitely torn one of his stitches. And he would have done something about it if Frank hadn’t walked in at that exact second, greeting him with a “mornin’ boss” 

“Oh, um, yes... morning Frank”   
Matt replied, desperately trying to make himself look somewhat normal and presentable. 

His throat was still sore and his voice sounded rough and strained, but thankfully Frank didn’t comment on it.

“On time today, I see,” a change in subject seemed like the best idea, but Matt was sure he hadn’t fooled Frank. 

“Yeah, got your coffee here too,”  
Frank handed him the coffee, which warmed both his hands and insides as he took a sip. Hopefully the caffeine would be enough to keep him from passing out during the day. 

Matt held onto Frank’s arm as they made their way outside. Though usually he wouldn’t need it, today Matt appreciated the extra support, which he was sure was evident from the slightly stronger grip he had on Frank in order to steady himself. 

By the time they had got to the office, both Foggy and Karen had arrived. Matt and Frank greeted the two of them before they all headed off into their separate offices to work. 

Sitting down at his desk, Matt was sure he would pass out any second now, but a few more sips of coffee, and his stubborn attitude at the ready, he prepared himself for the long day ahead.

.....

It happened at lunch. 

Karen and Foggy had offered the two to join them for coffee outside, but Matt complained about some stomach ache, and how he’d rather stay in the office. 

Frank, whilst happy to go out and eat with Karen, was still unsure about Nelson, so he too opted to stay there. Though it was more because he was unsure about Murdock than Nelson - he was definitely hiding something. 

Today and been much better than yesterday. He was on time, got all the work done smoothly, and even managed to avoid spilling any coffee on himself. 

But all throughout the day, his mind kept wondering back to the devil he had left in his safe house.

Red had looked pretty bad last night, and whilst the pain killers seemed to do some good, it wouldn’t be long until they wore off. 

Frank had left him a note on the door, explaining everything and where the painkillers would be if he needed any, but he was sure that it wouldn’t stop him from ignoring everything and just walking out, Frank had often underestimated Red’s stubbornness. 

The door slammed shut as Foggy and Karen left, which shifted Frank’s attention to the awfully quiet lawyer next to him.   
In fact, Matt had been quiet all morning.

He’d thought the awkward silence would have passed after the easygoing conversations of yesterday breaking the ice, but clearly something was wrong.

“Hey, Murdock, you ok?” He asked, though he tried to do it casually, it obviously came out more concerned. 

“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” his voice came out quiet and he was breathing hard. 

Frank was going to question further when the man suddenly dropped to the floor in a heap.

“Sh*t!”

Frank swore as he ran over to Matt, whose skin was a pale and sickly shade.   
When he looked at his shirt, however, he noticed the patch of blood around the abdomen that stood out brightly against the white. 

His head racing with thoughts, Frank carefully pealed off the shirt to be greeted with his own patching up. 

Of course. It was him. 

Because the universe couldn’t give Frank a break, could it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt and Frank have another Argument

Matt woke up and was just confused. He was on the floor of his office with his back leaning against one of the cupboards. One of his hands went to the pain in his abdomen to find the stitches had been reapplied and a clean bandage had been put on. Even more confused, it took Matt a moment to realise that Frank was siting next to him on the floor.   
He turned his head to face him in panic, but the other man just laughed at him. 

“Wish you could see your face right now Red, it’s priceless,” Matt just sat there in shock as Frank continued to laugh.   
It was a while before Matt found the ability to speak again, but all that came out was a very confused “what?” 

“I re-did your stitches for you, try not to ruin them again,” Frank said, and then got up and stared pacing around the office. 

“How’d you do it, Red? I mean, at first I thought you were faking it, but, you are actually blind, aren’t you?” 

Matt sighed, expecting this. He took a moment to mentally compose himself before answering.

“My other senses got enhanced the same time I was blinded. It’s useful, but sometimes it can be annoying.”

Instead of more questions, Frank just started chucking again.

“What’s so funny?” 

“Heh, I just, i left you a note, ya know? Stuck it on the door. Thought you might see it and actually listen to me, stay put for once.”  
At this, Matt started grinning too.

“Guess you didn’t really take into the account the fact that i might be blind.” Matt finished off for him rather smugly.

“Don’t worry, not a lot of people do”

Frank made his way over to Matt, who was still sat on the floor, and started helping him up off of it. One arm around his neck, Matt leaned heavily into Frank as the man half dragged him out of his office. 

“Where are we going?” Matt asked, a little confused that they were leaving when it was likely that Foggy would be back any time soon.

“Taking you back to your apartment, you need rest.” Frank replied simply, as they went out into the streets. 

Usually, Matt would start arguing about how he had work to do, and Foggy would be worried if he suddenly wasn’t there when he got back, but right now, he was just too tired, and he knew there was no point in arguing with Frank.

By the time they reached the apartment, Frank was out of breath, and he basically dumped Matt on the sofa.   
A slight groan escaped him from the impact, but otherwise Matt was happy to be laying down again. 

He didn’t fall asleep immediately. instead, he did lay there for a good few minutes just listening to Frank mess about in the kitchen.   
When Frank came back to the sofa, he had a mug of the cheap coffee Matt owned in one of his hands, and some painkillers on the other. 

Matt was vaguely reminded of the other night when he was in a similar situation, when Frank was sitting next to him, when Frank was handling him gently, when his scent helped lull him to sleep. 

Matt quickly pushed the memories back.

“Here, take these,” Frank handed him the painkillers, well, more like carelessly dropped them in his palm. 

“What, no water?” 

“Just swallow them dry,” 

Matt begrudgingly did so.

“This some sort of punishment?” He asked Frank, a little humour in his voice.

Frank, however, was clearly not in same mood as before, and was quiet for a while before answering. 

“You could’ve told me, you know,” His voice was quiet but controlled. 

“I wouldn’t have told anyone, we could’ve helped each other.” 

Now Matt was quiet, but inside him, anger spiked. 

“Helped each other? Frank, you tried to kill me the first time we met!” 

“I shot you, I knew it wouldn’t do anything, if I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead,” 

“See! This is exactly what I’m taking about! You’re a murderer, Frank! -“

“A murderer?! -“

“- I wasn’t exactly going to give away my identity to someone who kills people every night”

“Don’t pull that holier-than-thou bull sh*t on me Red, you’re the same as me, there’ll come a day when you can’t stop yourself -“

“F*ck off” 

“NO F*CK YOU RED,” 

He didn’t even realise when it happened, but the two of them were now standing face to face.   
Frank’s hand had a strong grip on Matt’s shirt, and Matt could hear his rapid heartbeat thrumming in his ears. The other mans breaths were hot and angry on his face, distracting him for just a moment before the anger came crashing back.

Shoving Frank out of the way, he made his way to his bedroom, giving Frank a final ‘f*uck you’ by slamming the door. 

Once alone inside, he flopped onto the bed in frustration. The pain in his stomach had gone but was replaced by anger and annoyance. 

The constant arguing with Frank was exhausting, it was infuriating, it was ... Matt couldn’t even put it into words. 

He knew Frank, and part of him understood why he did what he did. Part of him even appreciated it, at certain times, and part of him found some normalcy in it. It was a kind of comfort he never expected to feel. The fact that he was out there, killing those rapers and robbers and murderers did add some ease to Matt’s life, as much of a sin as it may be. 

Another, more selfish part of him was glad Frank did the killing, so he didn’t have to. 

And then there was the whole thing about his identity. 

As much as he hated to admit it, Frank was right. If he had told him his identity, maybe they could’ve helped each other out more, but it was risky - surely Frank understood that. 

His thoughts blurred together as he fell asleep, and the feelings of regret, annoyance and frustration died out, instead replaced by the sound of the consistent heartbeat coming from the other room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another chapter done! :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More talking on rooftops because that’s the only thing I can write

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I just wanted to say thanks to all the people who have read this, commented and left kudos! It means a lot to me and has really helped me to keep motivated in my writing. Even though I don’t get around to replying to all the comments, I do read an appreciate all of them! Thank you all :)

Cleaning his guns was the one thing that Frank could always rely on to calm him down. He assumed it was because of the repetitive motions and familiar feel of the guns cold metal in his hands, but whatever it was, it was nice. 

It was the opposite of Matt. 

Matt, Red, whatever he was, always seemed to annoy him. Whether he was there or not. Whether it was when they argued and Matt wouldn’t stop until he had the last say, or when he smirked and his lips moved in ways Frank didn’t even think possible, or whether it was something he said or something he did, or even when he did nothing at all. All of it seemed to annoy him. 

Except this wasn’t true. 

Matt did annoy him, but he also helped him. He helped remind Frank of all the good he could do (ironic considering he was supposed to be the devil) and he helped remind him that he was human. 

Yes, Matt had called him a murderer, which had admittedly hurt him, but Frank wasn’t going to start denying that he had killed people. 

What hurt most was knowing that Matt didn’t trust him. 

It wasn’t like he expected him to be completely trusting with Frank, they were still kind of strangers in a sense, but he’d thought that maybe Matt would be open with him, seeing as they were both very similar people in very similar circumstance, whether Matt agreed or not.

And since when had he gone from ‘Murdock’ to just ‘Matt’? 

Frank finally finished cleaning his last gun and laid back in the armchair after deciding there was no point in leaving if he’d have to be back here in the morning. 

The night was unusually quiet and Frank found it easily to fall asleep, considering he as in an armchair. 

Even after getting his revenge on everyone in the whole Cerberus operation, he still dreamt of Maria and the kids.

Except this time it was different.

Tonight he didn’t dream of Maria. Instead, his dreams were filled with black fabric clinging to muscular arms, and batons that almost flew through the air. They were filled with the red tinted glasses that seemed to glow in the dark, and the constant taping of a cane against hard floor.

The taping eventually became louder and Frank jolted awake to realise that the sound was coming from Matt’s room. 

Suspecting the idiot was up to something stupid, Frank worriedly made his way towards the bedroom.

When he opened the door, however, he saw the messed up silk sheets, the swinging closet door and the open window and was immediately ready and alert. 

Rushing to the window, he looked outside and saw the black figure leaping across the rooftops. 

“F*cking hell, Red, you just couldn’t stay put, could ya?” Frank whispered to himself, though he was sure Matt had caught it thanks to his ‘heighten senses’.

Grabbing his gear, he too made his way out the window, desperate to find Matt before he got into even more trouble. 

................

The cold nights air was refreshing and helped Frank clear his mind. Even though it was dark, he still felt like he could see clearly. He was so used to it by now, being up on top, seeing the city glowing faintly from the roofs.   
It was a nice sight, not something truly breathtaking, but still something worth seeing. If he wasn’t so preoccupied, he would have sat down for a bit, just taken in the view, enjoyed it even. 

But he was preoccupied. 

Matt was keeping him busy. His chase had been going on for nearly an hour now, and Frank was becoming more and more frustrated. Matt just would not stop! Where he was going, Frank had no idea, in fact, he was 90 percent sure that Red was just jumping around to mess with him, but that wasn’t going to stop Frank from following him. 

The devil would get tired eventually, especially with a stomach wound that had been stitched up. Twice. 

As usual, Frank was right, and he grinned when Matt came to a stop in the edge of a roof not too far from Frank’s own place. 

However, when he approached him, he noticed that Matt senses were focused, listening, probably, to what was going on inside the building just opposite. 

Frank noticed now too that the lights were on and faint shouts could be heard from the building. 

“What’re they saying?” Frank asked quietly, almost whispering but not quite. 

“It’s a drug deal, seven people, five of them armed.” 

Frank had to admit, Matt never failed to impress him. 

“How many exits?” 

“Only two, one up north and one to your right.”

He turned to face Matt, concern no  
longer hidden, but clearly evident, even though he knew Matt couldn’t see it.

“Look, Matt, I know you’re thinkin’ of goin’ in there, that you wanna beat up some guys to make yourself feel better, and, to be honest, I wanna do the same, but please, for Nelson, for Karen, for me, please, just wear some armour.

Before Matt could reply, Frank ploughed on.

“My place is two minutes from here, I could be there and back in three if you wanted, just please, let me get you a vest or something,”  
Frank reached out, cautiously placing a hand on Matt’s shoulder. 

“Red, look, I’d ... I’d be lying if I said that I don’t care that you hid your Identity from me, but I’d also be lying if I said I was still pissed at you... so please, just this once, let me get you some armour.” 

Everything was quiet for a moment. Frank slowly removed his hand from Matt’ shoulder, as a sign of defeat. He was sure that Matt would just take off immediately, but then, to Frank’s surprise, the other man sighed, and nodded.

“Yeah... yeah, you’re right Frank. Karen and Foggy, I know they’d want me safe. And I know you do too,” 

The reply shocked Frank as stood there and stared at Matt as he continued.

“Plus, no offence, but you’d make a pretty rubbish replacement if I died.”

Sighing in relief, Frank grinned at Matt’s joke, a small chuckle escaping him as well. 

Glad that the man was finally seeing some sense, he sprinted back home to get a bullet proof vest for the devil.

Arriving at his place, he didn’t bother turning on the lights; he didn’t have the time or need to. He grabbed one of his spare vests out of then closet, making sure it wasn’t spray painted with his classic white skull (the media would go insane if they say Daredevil wearing the Punishers logo in public) and headed back to the front door. 

It was only as he was leaving that he heard the creaking of footsteps on the floorboards - Someone was in his house. 

Silently pulling out his gun, Frank turned around. 

And that’s when everything went black.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically just Apologies and other feelings :))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! I feel like I haven’t updated this in ages but I was seriously struggling with how to continue this. Anyways here is the next chapter!! Very close to the bed now I think, but I will definitely have a few more chapters after this one

When Frank gained consciousness, he was sat in a cheap plastic chair, his hands tied behind him; he was inside the warehouse.

Looking across, he saw that opposite him was Matt, also tired to a chair, except his head was dropping on his chest, still unconscious. Frantically, Frank tugged against the ropes binding him, but it was no use. 

“Red!, Red! Wake up damn it!” 

Slowly, Matt lifted his head, confusion evident even from only being able to see his lips, until he ‘saw’ Frank. 

“Frank? What the hell - “

Suddenly, a voice came from behind them as a man stepped into the warehouse. 

“Good to see you’re both finally awake!” He must have been only 25, but his face was covered in bruises and cuts, and his clothes were old and scruffy. 

“When I said to the others we could catch daredevil and the punisher, none of them believed me, but look at this!” He gestured to them casually, gun in his hand. 

He then walked over to Matt, examining him as though he was a prize painting tho in a museum.

“Bringing you to the police could get me almost anything I need... or want.” He said, way too cheerfully, and it angered Frank even more. 

“Get the hell away from him” Frank growled. 

“Or what? Not much you can do right now, I’m afraid.” He replied, stepping closer to Matt who, in turn, started to struggle in his chair, darting left and right, all in a failed attempt as the man grabbed him by the jaw and grasped the stupid black mask with excitement, ready to pull it off.

It all happened too fast : the man was slowly peeling off Matt’s mask when Frank, fuelled by his rage, stood up off the chair (though his hands were still tied behind him) and barged forward, head butting the man in his back and tacking him to the ground. 

As he did so, his head smashed against the hard concrete floor, and then there was a sudden splitting pain in his shoulder, blinding him to the world. The pain spread like a wildfire through his body as he struggled to stay awake. The sounds of screams and cries and clattering batons grew fainter as he collapsed onto the floor and let the oblivion swallow him. 

........................

This time, when he woke up, he was back in Matt’s apartment. The lights were still off, but the billboard outside shone through the windows, illuminating the room with an array of colours. 

Sitting up, pain flared through his shoulder as he noticed it was bandaged. A soft groan of pain escaped him, and not a second later, Matt was in-front of him, handing him some pain killers. 

“Hey, careful, I just finished stitching that, don’t need you breaking them.” He said softly as Frank took the painkillers from him.

“Says you, asshole.”

Matt just responded with a smirk, although it just looked slot sadder.

“Thanks, anyways, for ... you know.”

Matt still didn’t respond, and instead gestured to the bedroom.

“You can take the bed. I’ll take the sofa, you need to rest your shoulder.”

...........................

Frank knew that Matt had silk sheets. The first time he saw them, he didn’t understand why, but now, knowing about his abilities, it made sense. 

Laying in them was like wearing Matt’s shirt all over again; the smells engulfed him, comforting him, as he started to drift off. 

But just as he was on the brink of sleep, Matt walked in, hovering by the bed. Frank lifted his head to see what was wrong and was surprised to be greeted with a pair of whiskey-brown eyes.

It was the first time Frank had seen Matt like that. Usually, he had the mask on, or those stupid red tinted glasses. He’d never seen Matt’s eyes, but now that he could, he didn’t ever want to look away. They were a soft shade of brown, deep and warm, and Frank could imagine the gold that shone though under sunlight. 

It was when Matt spoke again that Frank realised he’d been holding his breath. 

“I wanted to apologise” 

Frank stayed quiet, still staring. 

“I’m sorry ... for before, and ... I’m not good at this... i wanted to tell you, but.. I was being a coward, and I did trust you, I do trust you... so, I’m, uh, I’m sorry” Matt finished and they both let the silence surround them . Frank never thought he’d see the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen apologise, let alone to him. 

Realising he’d been quiet for too long, Frank spoke up:

“Its ok Red, honestly”

“No. No it’s not ok,” Matt butted in, his tone firmer. “I was wrong, and I was rude, and you still saved my ass more times than I can count.” 

“‘Cept tonight - thanks for that by the way” 

The mattress dipped as Matt sat down on the side of the bed. His back was warm against Frank’s shoulder and Frank could see how his tight shirt clung to his muscles. 

“Hey look, Red, I saved you, you saved me, let’s just call it even and forget this whole fiasco, yeah? Now go back to the couch and get some sleep, otherwise if you’re gonna get in the bed, get in” 

Silently, Matt swung his legs onto the bed and under the covers as they both layed down, facing each other. 

Frank had no idea if Matt could tell he was staring, but he couldn’t stop himself. They were so close that Frank could see every twitch of his lips or dart of his unseeing eyes. 

Haltingly, he placed a hand on the side of Matt’s face, cupping his jaw. Matt’s eyelids fluttered shut as he leaned into the touch. Running his thumb gently across Matt’s cheek, Frank wondered what it’d be like to see that face every night, to have the hand that was now on his shoulder, there to comfort him, to have their foreheads touching, to run his fingers though that soft brown hair, to -  
Frank shook him self out of his thoughts. What was he thinking? Fantasising about the Devil? Matt apologised once and he was already acting like a love sick puppy. 

Get a grip Castle. 

He moved his hand away like it’d been burnt, and saw Matt’s eyebrows scrunch into a small frown as he did so. Heart racing in his chest, he flipped over to face the other side, certain that Matt could hear his thundering pulse. 

“Frank, you ok.” Matt asked, his voice drowsy with sleep, but still sounding concerned.

Sh*t.

“‘M fine, Murdock, go to sleep.”Frank grumbled, squeezing his eyes shut. 

Thankfully, Matt stayed quiet and did eventually fall asleep. But Frank lay there, conflicting thoughts and feelings pestering him until exhaustion finally dragged him to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they finally come to terms with their feelings :D

Out of all the bizarre things that Matt had experienced, waking up next to the punisher was definitely one of them. Thankfully, he was the first of them to wake up, and his cheeks heated up as the thought of Frank seeing the position they were in. Their legs were intertwined and Matt’s back was pushed against Frank’s chest. One of Frank’s hands was warm around his waist, sending tingles throughout Matt’s body. As much as he wanted to stay in that position forever, soaking up all of the heat, Frank’s heartbeat so close, filling his ears, he knew he couldn’t. He knew Frank would wake up eventually, and he had no idea what kind of reaction he would get from the situation, and he didn’t want to find out. 

Careful not to wake the other man up, Matt clambered out of the bed and made his way barefooted to the kitchen. His first course of action was to get some coffee. After the nightmare of a night that was the night before, he really needed something to wake him up, so Matt opened up his cupboard and started making himself some of the cheap coffee Foggy had once gotten him. 

Just as he sat down, there was a knock at his door. 

“Matt? You there? Foggy said to check up on you in case you were doing something stupid” Karen’s voice came from the other side of the door as Matt begrudgingly made his way to open it. 

“Matt!” she exclaimed when he opened the door, greeting her with a nod of the head.   
“How’re you feeling? Your stomach any better?” she asked, walking past Matt as she went inside and took a seat on his couch. 

“Yeah, its ok, I’m fine, I’ll be in today, don’t worry.” 

“Wow, you must really be out of it. You do realise todays Saturday, You know you don’t need to come in?”

Matt hadn’t realised that. In fact, he didn’t even know what month it was, let alone what day of the week. Giving Karen a shrug, he sat down in the armchair opposite her, sipping on his coffee. 

“Well, Foggy just wanted me to check up on you, but it seems you’re doing fine.” Her tone was a lot more suggestive that normal, and it took Matt a minuet to realise she was facing the bedroom, which meant she would see his bed, which meant that she could see Frank in his bed. 

Suddenly Matt went bright red and hurriedly went to close the bedroom door. 

“It’s not what you think, Karen, I swear-“ 

“Hey! I’m not going to judge you on what you get up to on your weekends, or who with, but does Foggy know?”

“No, and that’s not what’s going on, we were just-“  
“Matt” Karen interrupted again, “I really don’t care what you’re doing with Frank Castle, I just want to know you’re looking after yourself and not off Daredevil-ing when you should be resting. By the way, you didn’t fool either of us with that ‘I’ve got a stomach ache’ BS. Foggy was almost certain you had a bullet wound or something.”   
Matt just chuckled nervously. 

“Seriously?! Matt tell me you didn’t go out again last night”   
Matt practically inhaled his coffee as he finished it off and started to explain to Karen, although he already knew any explanations would be useless. 

“Okay, firstly, I didn’t intend to go out, it just sort of…happened.” He finished off lamely.

“It just sort of happened?”

“Um…yes?”  
Karen just let out a long sigh.   
“Okay, Matt, I’ve got to go and visit Ellison but if I hear you even think of leaving this apartment today, I will tell Foggy”

That was enough of a threat on its own to Matt. He didn’t want to keep foggy in the dark, but he didn’t want to worry him either. After everting the two of them had been though, he couldn’t do that to him again. Karen seemed to understand a bit; she was a lot more accepting and understanding of the vigilante side of him, but she too believed that Matt needed a lot more rest. Which was true.

“see you on Monday then Matt!” she said as she left his apartment.   
“Bye”  
Once Karen had left, Matt went to make some breakfast for himself, and Frank, how he just remembered was still there, in his bed.   
The more Matt thoughts about it, the weirder it seemed. Soon, his thoughts drifted back to the night before, when Frank had his warm hand against his cheek. Matt could still remember how all of the callouses felt, it was as if they were seared into his skin. Then he was reminded of the way Frank coldly jerked away, and that upset him more than Matt was willing to admit.   
What the hell? Upset? Why was he feeling upset over The Punisher? It wasn’t long ago that he had called him a murder.   
Except. Things had changed, even if it was just under a week, but Matt had grown fond of Frank, and maybe he could even admit to himself that part of him liked to be around Frank, that part of him liked Frank.  
The realisation didn’t hit him as hard as he expected, in fact, Matt was oddly accepting of it. And he was sure as hell going to do something about it before it was too late. He couldn’t risk this, not like he did with Elektra, leaving it too late, he couldn’t.   
Not this time, and not ever again.   
…………………………………………

It was Karen leaving that woke him up - she wasn’t exactly loud, but she wasn’t quiet either, but it was the smell of pancakes that urged him to actually make an effort and leave the bed. Everything was sore as he moved, but he was used to waking up like that. What he wasn’t used to, however, was Matt Murdock making him breakfast. (Though he could get used to it).   
When he sat down at the table, immediately Matt had placed a plate of surprisingly good pancakes in front of him.  
“Where’d you learn how to cook, Red?”   
“Enhanced senses can be useful for more than one thing, Frank.” Matt replied. He seemed to be in a good mood, good considering he was shot not too long ago. It was nice.   
Deciding not to call him out on it, Frank finished his breakfast and was about to get ready to leave when Matt suddenly sat down opposite him.   
“Frank.”  
“…yeah?”  
“about last night…”   
Whatever Matt said next, Frank didn’t hear it because his thoughts instantly went into a frenzy. He knew shouldn’t have invited Matt to share the bed with him, he knew what had happened with Elektra and Karen, he knew Matt wouldn’t want anything like that again, but he was stupid and still thought it was ok, thought that Matt might have felt the same. What had he been thinking?   
“M’sorry, I shouldn’t’ve… I’ll, I’ll go” he started rambling, when Matt swiftly butted in.  
“Hey, no, calm down Frank, I was just going to say that I didn’t mind it,” the other man explained, a small grin on his face. “In fact… I actually kind of enjoyed last night.”   
“Even when you got knocked out and tied to a chair?”   
“Yes, Frank, even then” and Frank swore he could detect some fondness in his voice that he’d never heard before.  
“You wanna go and get some coffee, Red?” Frank asked, no longer nervous or worried about crossing a line.   
“I’d love nothing more”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so! this is my final chapter! im so happy to finally finish this, and i hope you all enjoyed it :) thank you all for all the kudos and comments!

**Author's Note:**

> this was an idea I had a while ago but only got around to writing it recently. This is just the first chapter but hopefully I’ll get time to write more :)


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